Mark-buoy for seaways



M. VITRAC.

MARK BU-OY FOR SEAWAYS.l APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1919.

1,376,055. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. VITHAC.

MAH-K BUOY. FOR SEAWAYS. APPLICATION FILED Aus. I3, IsIsI.

Patend @1:26, 1921.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M VITRVAC MARK Buoy FoR sEAwAvs. APPLICATION FILED AUG- I3, 1919. 1,376,055, Patented Apr. 26, 192L l 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m WW

unie sraras @mm @erica MAURICE VITRPrC, OF PARIS, FRANCL.

MARK-BUOY ron iSEAWAYS.

estense.

reputation flied august i3, 191e. serial No. ermee.

To utllwtomet may concer lie it known that l, Mannion Vrrnac, a citizen of the Republic ot France, and resident oi Faris, in the Republic oi' France, have invented certain new and useful improvements in and Relating to Marlrz-uoys for Seaways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improveinentsv in mark buoys of that type, in which the buoy'is attached to the deck ott the vessel andis adapted to rise to the surface in case oi wreck and sinking, to indicate the position ot the vessel. n y

n lt is at present very diiiicult to exactly mark thespot where a toundered vessel lies on the bottom, even after a very short time.

rlhiS ditilculty arises -from various causes such as ignorance ot the placewhere the aecident happened, Aand dritt et the vessel during and especially after the accident, bcneath the water and even on they bott/om, in

consequence oi'currents which act on the' wreck.

l/Vhen the vessel lies at less than 180 tt. deep, it is possible to save the whole or a portion of the cargo and even to retloat the hull, but in order to do this it is necessary to locate clearly the position of the boat and if possible the bow and stern.

The arrangement of a mark buoy, which 'forms the object or" this invention, aiiords this facility and gives, together with the po,

sition of the ends of the boat an indication as to the depth oi its immersion.

It` has the further advantage oi? requiring no manipulation at the moment of the accident, its working being automatic, and of being reasonable in price.

According to this yinvention the mark buoy is provided with a mast mounted on ,Speccationof Letters Patent. @admitted pl'. 26, 1921.;

.y Fig. 5 is a view of the yapparatus when 1n use. v

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification of the apparatus. p y t Fig. 7 is a side elevation oi the modifica ion.

Fig. 8 is a view of the yapparatus when in use.

Thel ioat is formed of two rectangular boxes or cases 1 of light wood, such as poplar orthe like, closed at three of their longer sides and filled with cork :fastened together.

0n their shorter sides these boxes are connected by two planks 2 yof the same light wood, leaving between them a certain interval `and forming a rigid whole. y f

@n the top two oak planks 3 are fixed (nailed, screwed, etc.) which doy not fit close together butr leave between them the necessary interval 4 for the movement of a mast 5 having a Hag or signal 9 which completes the apparatus. The mast 5 is formed of a hollow iron tube mounted on a cross bar with a vshaft 6 engaged in two trunnions mounted, one in the long inner side of one of the floats 1, the other in a plank 15 which separates the space comprised between the two loats, connecting the planks 2 into two compartments 16 'and 17. The shorter end of the mast 5 .carries a plummet 12 which has a suitably flattened form so as to move freely in the apparatus and also to insureV the raising of the mast when the buoy is detached from the ship.

The mast and its bearing and the balancing' weight are, therefore, contained in the compartment 16.

In the compartment 1,7 a rope 14k having spaced graduations is disposed of which one end 13 is attached to the Hoat and the other 131 tothe deck oi' the vessel.

There is no risk of ifailure in the working i of the apparatus through the entangling of the line as whetherthe buoy falls into the water in one direction or theother, the mast willr always be erected with its flag in the air and the weight below as shown in Fig. 5.

The lbuoys are, when not in action, simply placed on the deck at suitable points, one at the bow, the other at the stern; each one has a mark bow or stern and is connected as stated with the deck by a 120 to 1807ft. cable 14 having graduated indications.

In case of wreck when the hull is submerged7 theV buoys float and immediately the weight 12 raises the masts 5 stretching the cable 14 the flags 9 rendering these arrangements visible at a long distance.

As the vessel sinks and, until it comes to rest, the attachment cable unwinds, the buoy is drawn along and finally the two buoys i'ioat signaled` by their flags'and the latter are maintained vertical by the weight of the plummet 12.

rlhe cable will be of sufficient strength to resist "for a considerable time. It can be replaced by a stronger.

Itis possible to utilize ring buoys of the ordinary type as floats instead of the cases or boxes hereinbefore described. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show this modification with the haw'ser carrying the plummet.

To the ring 21 planks 8 arev attached Vin any suitable way, for exampleby cords 22, which form the deck, leaving between them the necessary interval for `the movementv of 'the mast 5.

On these planks the hinge 7 of the pivot 6 ot the mast is mounted, and for this purpose the latter has an eyelet nearer one end.

At the nearest end to this eyelet there'is, on the inner face of the mast another projecting eyelet 2O which serves for the attachment of the hawser 14 which is connected to an eye on a plummet 12. The plummet 12 is connected at 13 to the buoy by the-cable 24. When in use the Hag is maintained in a raised position by the tension of Ithe cable 111 and the weight of plummet 12. Y

I declare that what I claim is :H

1. A mark buoy comprising in combination a ring` fioat, two planks on one side of said float, means to connect said planks to said float, a pivoted mast on said planks, means connecting said ioat to a vessel and Vmeans yto swing said mast into a vertical position when the vessel sinks relatively to said float.

2. A mark buoy comprising in combination a ring float, two planks arranged parallel to each other-'on one side of said float, means to connect said planks to said float, hinges at one end of said planks, means to conneet a pivoted mast to said hinges and between said planks and acounterweight on said mast to swing` it into vertical position when the vessel sinks relatively to said float. In witness whereof, I have, hereunto signed my name this 9th day of July 1919, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE .VITRAG Witnesses:

AN'roUiN MoN'rnILHET, CHAMP. PREssLY. 

